She nodded. “You’re more like your name. A Viking. But you know what, Viking? I’m not some British Isle for you to conquer. So go find yourself some nice, wafer-thin girl who’ll happily buy your bullshit. Whose heart you can break without a second thought. I’m off limits.”

She stepped away from him but he couldn’t stop staring at her. He’d never wanted anyone more in his life. Suddenly one night between those thighs didn’t seem nearly enough.

“Miki?”

She looked at him, a small smile sliding across her beautiful lips. She was enjoying herself. “Conall?”

He stepped up to her and was impressed she didn’t back away. “I just wanted to tell you something.”

“Oh, yeah? What exactly?”

“That you’re absolutely right.”

“Am I now?”

“Yeah.” Conall slid his hand behind the back of her neck and leaned down so their faces were close. “I ain’t no teddy bear.”

He snatched her to him, lifting her completely off the ground. Then he kissed her. The kind of kiss he’d wanted to give her since he first saw her. A raw, brutal kiss that, to his surprise, she returned. Her mouth opened and his tongue slipped in past her lips. She gave a moan that felt like nails ripping across the flesh on his back and made him so hard his cock hurt. His hands on her waist held her flat against him. He made sure his erection pressed into her as his tongue stroked hers, and he felt her warm hand through his T-shirt. But when her fingers clutched the fabric, trying to pull him even closer, he knew he had to have this woman.

He finally released her, lowering her back to the ground, but he kept his hand possessively on the nape of her neck and his forehead pressed against hers. He had to bend down to reach her, but he didn’t care. Especially when all he wanted to do was rip her clothes off, flip her on her stomach, and mount her. He wanted to fuck her until they both screamed.

“Take me home, Miki.” He was so desperate for her he could barely see.

She was panting, and if her heart were to beat any faster it would come out of her chest. He knew she wanted him. He could smell it.

Miki pulled her head back and looked him in the eye. She smiled. Not a forced one he’d seen her give others, but a real smile—warm and all his.

“Not on your life.” She pulled herself from his arms and headed back to the rave without a backward glance. “Goodbye, Viking. Have a good life.”

His cock was rock hard and he could still feel every place she’d touched him. He stood up to his full height and fought the urge to snatch her out of the rave and back to the closest hotel.

He heard a low growl and turned to see the full-blood wolf in a copse of trees nearby. He, too, watched Miki.

“Back off,” Conall growled, causing the beta wolf to slowly back away. He returned his gaze to that fine ass moving through the crowd. He grinned as his canines extended. “This one’smine.”

Chapter One

Six months later…

Miki’s eyes snapped open and she realized she already had her hand around the shotgun she kept against her nightstand. She sat up, the gun still in her grasp. She had to shake her head to bring herself back to this reality. Miki didn’t sleep. Not much anyway. But on those few times she actually did get some sleep, it was a helluva thing to actually wake her up. Especially lately. She’d been having these intense dreams… She shook her head again. She couldn’t go down that road right now. She needed to focus.

She could hear crunching sounds coming from the front of her house. Well, Sara’s house really. She’d rented it to Miki for practically nothing.

Miki slid out of bed in her T-shirt and sweatpants and steadied the weapon in both hands. She silently slipped from room to room, checking every corner as she went. Finally, she arrived at the front door. Taking a deep breath, she snatched it open and aimed.

“Howdy, Miki.”

Miki lowered her gun. “Dammit, Eddie! What the hell are you doing here?”

Deputy Eddie Fogle continued to eat his chocolate-covered peanuts and seemed oblivious to the fact Miki was damn good and ready to blow his head off. “Just watchin’ out for ya, darlin’.” Smooth-talking bastard. The man leaned back against her porch railing, his incredibly long legs stretched out in front of him. She briefly wondered if he had to have his cowboy boots specially made. His feet were enormous.

“Did Marrec send you here?” Marrec had become like a mother hen since they’d kicked Pride ass six months ago, constantly checking up on Miki and Angelina. Not that she didn’t appreciate it, but having a sheriff’s deputy sitting out on her front stoop in the middle of the night seemed a little excessive.

“We just want you to be safe.”

“Well, that’s sweet and all—”

“You know, Miki,” he cut in smoothly, “I’m so glad you’re getting out of town for a bit. You deserve it. But I hope you won’t be involving yourself with those Seattle-city folk like before. I’d really hate it if you upset Sara and Angelina or shame everybody in town. Again.”

Miki shut her eyes in exasperation. Boy, Feds drag you out of Advanced Trig in handcuffs just once and some people never let you forget it. Besides, hadn’t she already paid her debt to society? And exactly how long had the man been out here? She’d talked to her buddy Craig over five hours ago. They’d planned on meeting at a bar when she hit town and, depending on her mood, maybe going to one of Craig’s infamous house parties. Craig had hinted at maybe getting back into the Game, but she’d told him no flat out. Damn wolves with their damn wolf hearing. Well, it didn’t matter. Her days of risking federal prison were long over. She had bigger plans. So it didn’t really matter what Fogle heard.